Determination of distribution of wi-fi devices within a local network

ABSTRACT

A wireless testing system is provided that tests Wi-Fi signal strength of devices of a local network to determine distribution of network devices within the local network. In particular, one or more Wi-Fi-based devices may be located within or near a premises in which a wireless network is present. The devices are configured to automatically connect to a particular test broadcast signal from a modem and provide signal strength data. An application may log into or otherwise access the information obtained by the modem concerning the Wi-Fi signal strength of the wireless devices. The application may analyze the Wi-Fi signal strength information and may execute a recommendation engine to provide one or more recommendations/directions for installing components of the wireless network, such as wireless devices, modems, etc. to improve the coverage of the wireless network and provide a more robust wireless experience for devices within the wireless network.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to systems andmethods for implementing a telecommunications or data network, and morespecifically for testing Wi-Fi signal strength of devices of a localnetwork to determine distribution of network devices within the localnetwork.

BACKGROUND

Telecommunication networks provide for the transmission of informationacross some distance through terrestrial, wireless or satellitecommunication networks. Such communications may involve voice, data ormultimedia information, among others. In some instances, thetelecommunications network may provide Internet access to one or morecustomers of the network through a wired or wireless interface. Forexample, the network may provide the customer with a modem that connectsto or otherwise provides access to the Internet. The modem may belocated at a customer premises, such as a customer's home and place ofbusiness. Via the modem, a number of computing devices may access andinteract with the Internet to share data with other computing devices.In one particular example, one or more wireless devices may communicatewith the modem through a Wi-Fi connection. In general, Wi-Fi is awireless communication standard that allows for the generation ofwireless local area network (WLAN) of devices. A typical WLAN set-upincludes a modem that broadcasts a wireless signal to multiple wirelessdevices and acts as a gateway device to a larger network over whichconnection to the Internet or other networks is available.

The strength of any wireless signal may vary from application toapplication. For example, a wireless device located near thebroadcasting modem may receive a strong wireless signal while wirelessdevices located far from the broadcasting modem and/or through variousstructures (walls, floors, doors, etc.) may have a weak wireless signal.Strong wireless or Wi-Fi signals allow for transmissions of data betweenthe devices to include fewer errors than weaker Wi-Fi signals. Ingeneral, the weaker the Wi-Fi signal, the more power the wireless deviceconsumes to receive and transmit the signal and the more likely errorsmay occur within the exchange of data. At certain Wi-Fi signalstrengths, communications between the devices may cease. To ensureadequate connection and communication between the devices, a strongWi-Fi signal broadcast by the modem device and received at the wirelessdevice is preferred. User experience quickly degrades as the Wi-Fisignal strength lowers.

It is with these observations in mind, among other, that aspects of thepresent disclosure were conceived.

SUMMARY

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for operating awireless network. The method may include the operations of receiving,via a network server, a test wireless network identifier and passwordfor connecting to the test wireless network, broadcasting, uponreceiving a test initiation signal and based on the test wirelessnetwork identifier, a test wireless network signal within a premises,and communicating, upon receiving a password, with a test wirelessdevice via the test wireless network signal. The method may also includethe operations obtaining, from the test wireless device, transmissiondata of the test wireless device over the test wireless network signaland transmitting, to a mobile device and based on a request from anapplication of the mobile device, the transmission data of the testwireless device.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a wireless networkdevice including one or more processors, a wireless transmitter/receiverin communication with the one or more processors, and a memorycomprising instructions. When the instructions are executed by the oneor more processors, the instructions perform the operations ofdetecting, from a wireless network broadcasting device, a test wirelessnetwork signal comprising a test wireless network identifier,transmitting, via the wireless transmitter/receiver and to the wirelessnetwork broadcasting device, connection credentials associated with thetest wireless network identifier to connect to the test wireless networksignal, measuring a signal strength of the test wireless network signalbased on receiving one or more test communications via the test wirelessnetwork signal, and transmitting the signal strength of the testwireless network signal to the wireless network broadcasting device.

Yet another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a wirelessnetwork system including a wireless broadcasting device broadcasting,based on a test initiation signal, a test wireless network signal and awireless device automatically transmitting, upon detection of the testwireless network signal, one or more credential information to thewireless broadcasting device to connect to the test wireless networksignal and to transmit a measured signal strength of the test wirelessnetwork signal received at the wireless device. The wireless networksystem may also include a mobile device communicating with the wirelessbroadcasting device to obtain measured signal strength of the testwireless network signal received at the wireless device and to displaythe measured signal strength on a display device associated with themobile device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary Internet Protocol(IP) operating environment in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a distribution of Wi-Fidevices within a floor plan of a home network in accordance with oneembodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a Wi-Fi device for use intesting a distribution of such devices within a local network inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for executing a test of adistribution of Wi-Fi signals within a local network in accordance withone embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for utilizing an applicationto control a test of a distribution of Wi-Fi signals within a localnetwork in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an example user interface displaying one or more results froma test of a distribution of Wi-Fi signals within a local network inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for generating arecommendation for distribution of Wi-Fi devices within a local networkbased on a test of Wi-Fi signal strength in accordance with oneembodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a computing system whichmay be used in implementing embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

To improve the use of a WLAN at a customer premises, a generalunderstanding or knowledge of the varying Wi-Fi signal strength withinthe premises may be beneficial. In particular, knowledge of the Wi-Fisignal strength at various locations within the premises may be used torecommend or determine preferred locations of wireless devices, themodem device or devices, repeaters or signal boosters, and other devicesutilized in providing a wireless network signal. The Wi-Fi signalcoverage of the premises may thus be improved such that “dead spots” orareas of low Wi-Fi signal strength are lessened. As such, aspects of thepresent disclosure involve systems, methods, and the like, for testingWi-Fi signal strength of devices of a local network to determinedistribution of network devices within the local network. In particular,one or more Wi-Fi-based devices may be located within or near a premisesin which a WLAN is present or a WLAN is to be installed. The devices areconfigured to scan for and connect to a particular test broadcastsignal, such as a signal identified as a test Service Set Identifier(SSID) network. A modem of the WLAN may be configured, either through anupdate to the modem firmware or as manufactured, to receive aninstruction to begin a test of the WLAN and begin broadcasting a Wi-Fisignal with the test SSID network identifier. The Wi-Fi device ordevices may, once the test SSID network signal is received,automatically exchange credentials with the modem to link the Wi-Fidevices to the modem.

Once linked, the modem may receive signal strength data from each of theWi-Fi devices in communication with the modem over the SSID network. Anapplication, such as a mobile application executed on a mobile device,may log into or otherwise access the information obtained by the modemconcerning the Wi-Fi signal strength of the wireless devices. Theapplication or the modem may analyze the Wi-Fi signal strengthinformation and may execute a recommendation engine to provide one ormore recommendations/directions for installing components of the WLAN,such as wireless devices, modems, etc. For example, the analysis of theWi-Fi signal strength may indicate a location within the premises atwhich the Wi-Fi signal is below a particular threshold. To improve theWi-Fi signal strength at that location, the application or modem mayprovide instructions to a technician or other installer of the WLAN tomove the broadcasting modem device closer to the low Wi-Fi signalstrength area. In another example, additional WLAN components may berecommended in particular locations within the premises, such as signalrepeaters or extenders, to improve the Wi-Fi signal strength. Further,in some instances information about the premises, such as buildingmaterial, floor plans, total square footage of the premises, etc., maybe provided to the recommendation engine to improve therecommendation/directions provided by the application or modem. In thismanner, the Wi-Fi signal strength of the area covered by the WLAN may beincreased or analyzed to improve the coverage of the WLAN and provide amore robust wireless experience for devices within the WLAN.

The systems, devices, and methods described herein provide a costeffective solution for mapping Wi-Fi signal strength in a WLAN of apremises. As the results of the signal strengths of the devices of theWLAN are collected at once, individual readings or measurements takenthroughout the premises by moving from area to area may be eliminated,increasing the speed at which the Wi-Fi coverage is determined. Further,verifying the strength of the wireless signal throughout the premisesmay also reduce the number and cost of site visits to repair or improvethe WLAN coverage. Also, by providing the results of the WLAN signalstrength tests to a technician, network administrator, or a user of thepremises, opportunities to request additional Wi-Fi components toimprove the network may be gained and a report on the health of the WLANat the premises may be generated and stored for future use whenproviding services associated with the premises.

FIG. 1 schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary Internet Protocol(IP) operating environment in accordance with one embodiment. Ingeneral, the environment 100 provides for establishing communicationsessions between network users and the Internet 130. In particular, oneor more customer networks 104-108 may connect to an IP network 102 toprovide and receive communications with the Internet 130. With specificreference to FIG. 1 , the environment 100 includes an IP network 102,which may be provided by a wholesale network service provider. However,while the environment 100 of FIG. 1 shows a configuration using the IPnetwork 102, it should be appreciated that portions of the network mayinclude non IP-based routing. For example, network 102 may includedevices utilizing time division multiplexing (TDM) or plain oldtelephone service (POTS) switching. In general, the network 102 of FIG.1 may include any communication network devices known or hereafterdeveloped.

The IP network 102 includes numerous components such as, but not limitedto gateways, routers, route reflectors, and registrars, which enablecommunication and/or provides services across the IP network 102, butare not shown or described in detail here because those skilled in theart will readily understand these components. Communications between theIP network 102 and other entities or networks, such as the one or morecustomer home or business local area networks (LANs) 104-108, may alsobe managed through network environment 100.

Customer networks 104-108 can include communication devices such as, butnot limited to, a personal computer, wireless communication device,gaming console, etc., connected to a modem 116-120. Although shown inFIG. 1 as computer 110, the communication devices may include any typeof communication device that receives a multimedia signal, such as anaudio, video or web-based signal, and presents that signal for use by auser of the communication device. In many cases, the computing device110 may be a wireless computing device. The communication and networkingcomponents of the customer networks 104-108 enable a user at thecustomer network to communicate via the IP network 102 to othercommunication devices or the Internet 130. Components of the customernetworks 104-108 are typically home- or business-based, but they can berelocated and may be designed for easy portability.

The customer networks 104-108 typically connects to the IP network 102via respective gateways 122-126 or other network edge devices. In someinstances, many such customer networks 104-108 may connect at a singlegateway 122-126 such that a gateway may provide an interface to the IPnetwork 102 for several such network 104-108. The IP network 102 mayalso connect to other networks (collectively known herein as the“Internet” 130) through another gateway 128 or other edge device. Inthis manner, the IP network 102 may connect customer networks 104-108 tothe Internet 130 or other devices/networks associated with the IPnetwork 102.

As mentioned above, the customer networks 104-108 may be part of a homeor office network. In some instances, the customer network 104-108 mayform a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) in which wireless devices maycommunicate with the network 102 via a modem 116-120 or similar networkdevice. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating one such customerpremises where a WLAN is established. In particular, FIG. 2 illustratesa distribution of Wi-Fi or other wireless devices 204-208 within a floorplan 202 of a home network in accordance with one embodiment. Thepremises in which a WLAN is set-up may vary in shape and size, includingoffice buildings, outdoor venues, multi-story homes, apartments,trailers, etc. In general, a customer WLAN network may be established orset-up at any customer premises. The premises 200 of FIG. 2 is usedherein as merely an example premises to illustrate some components of acustomer WLAN.

The premises 200 of FIG. 2 includes several rooms 212-224, someseparated by walls and doors of varying building materials. To create aWLAN within the premises, a modem 202 may be located within a room andconnected to the network 102 described above. In some instances, themodem 202 may include a wired connection to the network 102 forexchanging communications with the network 102. The modem 202 may alsobe configured to broadcast a Wi-Fi network signal. In some instances,the Wi-Fi network signal may include a network identifier, such as anSSID. The modem 202 may broadcast one or more such wireless networksignals, each identified by a unique SSID or other network identifier.In general, the broadcast network signal allows for wireless devices,such as Wi-Fi devices A-D 204-210, to communicate with the modem 202 toreceive and provide communications to the IP network 102 to/from thewireless devices. Via the modem 202, the Wi-Fi devices 204-208 or otherwireless devices within range and allowed access to the modem 202 maycommunicate with the IP network 102.

Wi-Fi devices A-D 204-210 may be any computing device that communicateswith the modem 202 through a Wi-Fi wireless connection. For example,Wi-Fi devices A-D 204-210 may be, but are not limited to, cellular orsmart phones, laptop computers, gaming consoles, web-controlled devices(such as wireless doorbells, light controllers, climate controllers,etc.), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and the like. In someinstances, the Wi-Fi devices 204-208 may be configured to be used fortesting of the Wi-Fi signal strength within the premises 200. FIG. 3 isa schematic diagram illustrating one such Wi-Fi device 300 for use insignal strength testing of a WLAN. The Wi-Fi device 300 of FIG. 3 may bethe Wi-Fi devices 204-208 shown in FIG. 2 . In some instances, a networkmanagement application 310 may be executed on the Wi-Fi device 300 toperform one or more of the operations described herein. The networkmanagement application 310 may be stored in a computer readable media302 (e.g., memory) and executed on a processing system 304 of the Wi-Fidevice 300 or other type of computing system, such as that describedbelow. The computer readable medium 302 includes volatile media,nonvolatile media, removable media, non-removable media, and/or anotheravailable medium. By way of example and not limitation, non-transitorycomputer readable medium 302 comprises computer storage media, such asnon-transient storage memory, volatile media, nonvolatile media,removable media, and/or non-removable media implemented in a method ortechnology for storage of information, such as computer readableinstructions, data structures, programs, or other data.

According to one embodiment, the network management system 310 may alsoprovide a user interface 306 (e.g., a command line interface (CLI), agraphical user interface (GUI), etc.) displayed on a display, such as acomputer monitor, for displaying data. Through the user interface 306, auser of the network management system 300 may reconfigure or alter theoperations of the Wi-Fi device 300, such as through one or more inputsprovided through input devices. The input device for providing inputs tothe device 300 may include, among others, a keyboard or a pointingdevice (e.g., a mouse, trackball, pen, or touch screen) to enter datainto or interact with the user interface 306.

In one example, the user interface 306 may communicate with othercomponents or portions of the network management application 310 toreceive user input for manipulating or otherwise modifying the operationof the network management application. For example, user interfacecommunicator 312 may communicate with user interface 306 to receive oneor more user inputs. The user interface 312 may also provide informationfor display via the user interface 306, such as wireless networksdetected by the device 300, connection status to one or more wirelessnetworks, detected wireless signal strength, and the like. As anotherexample, the user interface 306 may receive user input for modifying thenumber and types of wireless networks to which the device 300 connects.For example, the device 300 may be configured to automatically connectto a test Wi-Fi or other wireless network upon detection of the testwireless network. Configuring the Wi-Fi device 300 to automaticallyconnect to the test wireless network may include receiving configurationinstructions or commands through the user interface 306 to add the testnetwork to the list of available networks to the Wi-Fi device 300. Inother instances, the operational code or program of the Wi-Fi device 300may be configured or altered to recognize and connect to the testwireless network signal, in some instances based on the SSID of the testwireless network.

The network management application 310 may also utilize a data source308 of the computer readable media 302 for storage of data andinformation associated with the network management system 300. Forexample, the network management application 310 may store informationassociated with known wireless networks and connection information toconnect to such networks, such as passwords or other connectingcredentials to transmit to a modem broadcasting the wireless networksignal. In general, any data or information utilized by the securitymanagement application 310 may be stored and/or retrieved via the datasource 308.

The network management application 310 may also include severalcomponents to perform one or more of the operations described herein.For example, a Wi-Fi network connector communicator 314 may beconfigured to connect to Wi-Fi or other wireless networks when such anetwork is detected. A wireless network signal may be detected via awireless transmitter/receiver 316 configured to communicate packets witha wireless transmitting device. In some instances, the Wi-Fi networkconnector 314 may be configured to automatically transmit connectioncredentials to a device transmitting a test wireless network signal viathe wireless transmitter/receiver 316.

Returning to FIG. 2 , the Wi-Fi device 300 of FIG. 3 may be used fortesting of a Wi-Fi signal. For example, a network technician oradministrator may obtain several Wi-Fi testing devices when visiting thepremises 200 during an install of the WLAN at the premises or to fix orupdate a pre-existing WLAN in the premises. The Wi-Fi devices 204-210may be off-the-shelf Wi-Fi devices that are modified or altered astesting devices or may be designed and manufactured as testing devices.The obtained Wi-Fi devices 204-210 may be modified to automaticallyconnect to a test SSID when the device is active and the broadcastsignal of the test SSID is discovered. For example, the softwareexecuted by the Wi-Fi device 204 to operate the device may be accessedand modified to include one or more instructions to automaticallyconnect to a test SSID network signal. The instructions may include theSSID and an auto-connect instruction. The instructions may also includea password that the Wi-Fi device 204 may transmit to the modem 202 upona request to provide such a password. The connection to the test SSIDnetwork signal by the modified Wi-Fi devices 204-210 is described inmore detail below. For Wi-Fi devices 204-210 manufactured for testing ofthe Wi-Fi signal at the premises 200, the software executed to operatethe device may be modified or written with similar instructions to causethe Wi-Fi device 204-210 to connect to the test SSID network signal. Theupdated or modified Wi-Fi devices 204-210 may be provided to techniciansor other network administrators for use in conducting Wi-Fi signalstrength testing at a premises 200. In other instances, the modifieddevices 204-210 may be sent to a homeowner or Information Technology(IT) specialist at the premises 200 for self-testing of the WLAN signalstrength.

Returning to FIG. 2 , a technician, homeowner, IT specialist, or anyother person at the premises (collectively referred to herein as “testconductor”) may activate and distribute the testing Wi-Fi devices204-210 in various locations within the premises 200. In some instances,the locations within the premises may be selected based on many factors,such as the location of the modem 202, the types of Wi-Fi devices204-210, the future use of wireless devices within the premises 200,customer needs or requests, the layout of the premises 200, the buildingmaterials of the premises 200, and the like. In general, the testingdevices 204-210 may be located anywhere within the premises 200 within abroadcast range of the modem 202. Once activated, the testing Wi-Fidevices 204-210 are ready for testing of the Wi-Fi signal strengthwithin the premises 200 in relation to the modem 202.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method 400 for executing a test ofa distribution of Wi-Fi signals within a local network in accordancewith one embodiment. In particular, the operations of the method 400 maybe performed by the modem 202 of the WLAN of the premises 200 throughhardware components, software programs, or a combination of hardware andsoftware components. Through the method 400, the Wi-Fi signal strengthat the various locations within the premises 200 at which the Wi-Fitesting devices 204-210 are located may be obtained for analysis for thesignal strength within the WLAN.

In operation 402, the modem 202 may receive a software update or mayotherwise be configured to include a Wi-Fi network broadcast signalassociated with a testing SSID. For example, the modem 202 may beconnected to network 102 described above and may receive firmware orother software updates from the network 102. The firmware update mayinclude instructions to the modem 202 to add a testing SSID networksignal to a list of network identifying signals capable of beingbroadcast by the modem 202. The testing SSID network signal may alsoinclude one or more passwords used by wireless devices to connect andaccess the modem 202. As explained above, the modem 202 may broadcast anSSID network signal that Wi-Fi or other wireless devices may use toconnect to the modem. The update to the modem 202 may instruct the modemto not broadcast the test SSID network signal until a particular inputis received at the modem 202. In another example and prior to beinginstalled or otherwise located at the premises 200, the modem 202 may beconfigured to include the test SSID network signal in a list ofavailable network signals to broadcast, while not broadcasting the testSSID network signal until the initiation signal is received. Thus, inoperation 404, the modem 202 may wait for the receipt of the testinitiation signal. In some instances, the test initiation signal istransmitted to the modem 202 from the network 102. In other examples,the test initiation signal may be received from a mobile device operatedby a technician at the premises 200, such as through the execution of amobile device application that includes a user interface. The userinterface of the application may include a test start button or otheractivation portion. When the test start button is activated on themobile device, the application may generate a test initiation signal andtransmit the signal to the modem 202. In some instances, the applicationof the mobile device may have previously logged into or otherwiseconnected to the modem 202 to exchange instructions and/or commands,such as the test initiation button. In still other examples, the testinitiation signal may be received from the network 102 in response to acomponent of the network receive a test start signal or command from theapplication of the mobile device, such as through a cellular network.

Regardless of which device or network provides the test initiationsignal, the modem 202 may, in operation 406 determine if the testinitiation signal has been received. If not, the modem 202 may continueto wait for the test initiation signal. The modem 202 may continue tooperate in a normal mode while waiting for the test initiation signal.For example, the modem 202 may connect to wireless devices via an SSIDnetwork signal and act as a gateway to provide data and messages betweenthe wireless devices and the network 102/Internet 130. However, the SSIDnetwork signal used to connect wireless devices in this mode may be anSSID network other than the test SSID network signal.

If the test initiation signal is determined to be received, the modem202 may begin broadcasting the test SSID network signal in operation 408in a similar manner as the modem 202 transmits other SSID networksignals. The modem 202 may be configured to transmit one or more SSIDnetwork signals to connect to wireless devices. Therefore, the modem 202may cease broadcasting a previously sent SSID network signals to beginbroadcasting the testing SSID signal, or may continue to broadcast thepreviously sent SSID network signals. By broadcasting the test SSIDnetwork signal, the modem 202 may begin to connect Wi-Fi or otherwireless devices to exchange communications.

In operation 410, the modem 202 may determine any Wi-Fi devicesrequesting to connect to the modem 202 on the test SSID network. Asmentioned above, the test Wi-Fi devices 204-210 may be configured toautomatically attempt to connect to the test SSID network when the testSSID network signal is detected. Therefore, the Wi-Fi devices 204-210may detect the test SSID network signal once the modem 202 beginsbroadcasting the test SSID signal. Upon detection, the Wi-Fi devices204-210 may transmit a connection request signal or command to the modem202 to connect to the test SSID network. In some instances, theconnection request signal may include a password provided to the Wi-Fidevices 204-210 through the update or configuration of the devices. Eachof the test Wi-Fi devices 204-210 within the range of the modem 202(i.e., receiving the broadcasted test SSID network signal) may thentransmit the connection request signal to the modem 202.

If the modem 202 determines that one or more Wi-Fi devices 204-210 arerequesting connection to the test SSID network, the modem 202 mayregister the requesting devices in operation 412 and transmit anacceptance signal or command to the registered Wi-Fi devices 204-210.One or more of the connected Wi-Fi devices 204-210 may be configured toobtain and transmit signal strength data and information of the testSSID network. For example, the connected Wi-Fi device 204-210 maymeasure the strength of the received signal from the modem. In someaspects, the signal strength may be measured in milliwatts (mW),decibels in relation to a milliwatt (dBm), in a Received Signal StrengthSignal (RSSI), or any other measurement of wireless signal strength.Regardless of which measurement is used, the connected Wi-Fi devices204-210 may transmit, to the modem 202, the signal strength at therespective device. Thus, in operation 414, the modem 202 may collect andstore the received signal strengths from the connected Wi-Fi devices204-210 for use in determining a placement of the Wi-Fi devices withinthe premises 200, as explained in more detail below.

The modem 202 may return to operation 410 to determine if other Wi-Fidevices are requesting connection to the test SSID network uponcollection of the signal strength of the connected Wi-Fi devices204-210. If no additional requests to connect to the network signals arereceived, the modem 202 may determine, in operation 414, if a signal isreceived to halt or stop the testing procedure. Similar to the testinitiation signal, the halting testing signal may be received from thenetwork, from a mobile device executing a testing application, or fromanother computing device. If the halt test signal is not received, themodem 202 may continue to wait for additional requests from Wi-Fidevices 204-210 to connect to the test SSID network. However, uponreceipt of the halt test signal, the modem 202 may stop broadcasting thetest SSID network signal in operation 416 to end the signal strengthtest procedure. Additional testing of the Wi-Fi signal strength may beconducted following some or all of the operations of the method 400 ofFIG. 4 .

The signal strength information and data received from the connectedWi-Fi devices 204-210 may be obtained and analyzed to determine thecoverage of the modem 202 at the premises 200 and to providerecommendations to a technician or other network administrator toimprove the modem 202 coverage. For example, FIG. 5 is a flowchartillustrating a method 500 for utilizing an application to control a testof a distribution of Wi-Fi signals within a local network in accordancewith one embodiment. In general, the operations of the method 500 may beperformed by an application executed on a computing device, such as amobile device operated by a technician associated with the premises 200.The application may be executed through a combination of hardwarecomponents of the computing device and one or more instructions storedon a computer-readable medium of the device. One example computingdevice is described below.

In operation 502, the application may transmit the test initiationsignal discussed above to the modem 202 or to another computing devicethat repeats the test initiation signal to the modem 202. Thetransmission of the test initiation signal may be in response to aninput provided to the application by a user of the computing device. Insome instances, the input to begin testing may be provided via a userinterface displayed on a display device associated with the computingdevice. The test initiation signal may begin the testing procedurediscussed above and provide for the modem 202 to collect the Wi-Fisignal strength information from the various Wi-Fi devices 204-210installed in the premises 200. In operation 504, the application mayaccess the modem 202 to retrieve or otherwise obtain the signal strengthinformation and data stored at the modem 202. Accessing the modem 202may include logging into the modem 202, either wired or wirelessly, oraccessing a device in communication with the modem 202. In someinstances, the application may access the modem 202 via a TR69connection, Secure Shell (SSH) connection, telnet connection, or anyother connecting procedure supported by the modem 202. In operation 506,the application may display at least a portion of the receivedinformation and data in a user interface associated with theapplication. For example, a display device may be associated with thecomputing device for displaying a user interface of the application. Theapplication may configure the display to thus display some portion ofthe signal strength data to a user of the application.

FIG. 6 is one example of a user interface 600 displaying one or moreresults from a test of a distribution of Wi-Fi signals within a localnetwork in accordance with one embodiment. The user interface 600 maydisplay several aspects of the testing results. For example, theinterface 600 may include a device ID column 602 listing each of theWi-Fi devices 204-210 that connected to the modem 202 during the test.The identification of each of the devices 204-210 may include a devicename, a Media Access Control (MAC) address, an IP address, or any otherunique identifier. In the example shown, four Wi-Fi devices 204-210connected to the modem 202 over the test SSID network signal, listed asWi-Fi Device A-D. An additional column 604 of the interface 600 may listthe SSID over which the respective devices connected to the modem 202.In the example shown, each of the devices connected to the modem 202 on“CTL-Test” SSID. The information in this column 604 may be used when themodem 202 broadcasts more than one SSID network signal at a time. Theuser interface 600 may provide for filtering out of devices that connectto the modem 202 on an SSID network other than the test SSID network.

Several aspects of the connection and signal strength received from theconnected devices 204-210 may also be displayed. For example, afrequency band 606 used by the devices to communicate, a transmissionrate 608 measured by the devices, and a receiving rate 610 measured bythe devices may be displayed. The measurement of signal strengthdiscussed above may also be displayed in column 612. In the exampleshown, the signal strength is measured in RSSI, which typically rangesfrom 0 to −255. If the signal strength is measured in other formats,such as mW or dBm, those measurements may also or alternatively be shownin the user interface 600. In some instances, the display 600 may be indisplayed in various colors. The colors may indicate a relative signalstrength of the corresponding devices 204-210. For example, an RSSImeasurement between 0 and −65 may be illustrated in green or other colorto indicate a strong or good signal strength, RSSI measurements between−65 and −75 may be illustrated in yellow or other color to indicate adegraded signal strength, and RSSI measurements above −75 may beillustrated in red or other color to indicate a device out of range ofthe modem 202. In general, any color may be used in displaying theresults received from the modem 202. Also, any thresholds within therange of possible measurements may be associated with the various colorsillustrated in the user interface 600.

In operation 508, the signal strength data and information may beanalyzed by the application to determine locations within the premises200 with Wi-Fi signal strengths below one or more threshold values.Based on the analysis, one or more recommendations for placement of themodem 202, Wi-Fi devices 204-210, signal repeaters or extenders, signalboosters, etc. may be determined. Further, reports of the analysis ofthe Wi-Fi device signal strengths may be generated and stored forcurrent and future WLAN coverage consideration. An analysis andrecommendation method is discussed in further detail with reference toFIG. 7 below. The results of the analysis performed by the applicationmay be displayed, in operation 510, on the user interface for a user ofthe application. The results may include recommendations for improvingthe Wi-Fi coverage from the modem 202 within the premises 200 such thatconnection to the modem 202 and, subsequently, the network 102 is alsoimproved.

In operation 512, additional testing of the Wi-Fi coverage within thepremises 200 may be performed. For example, the provided results in theuser interface may recommend the placement of a signal extender in alocation with a low signal strength, as determined from the testresults. A technician or other person located at the premises 200 mayinstall the signal extender in the recommended location. Upon executionof one or more recommendations, an additional testing of the signalstrength of the connected Wi-Fi devices 204-210 may be performed toverify the results of the recommended actions. Another recommendationmay include moving the placement of the modem 202 to a more centralizedlocation within the premises 200 such that one or more of the Wi-Fidevices 204-210 may receive an improved Wi-Fi signal. Once relocation ofthe modem 202 is performed, an additional test may be conducted toverify that the movement of the modem 202 did not degrade the signalstrength at one or more of the devices 204-210 below a threshold value.In this manner, any number of signal strength tests may be performed toraise the signal strength of each connected Wi-Fi device 204-210 above athreshold value.

If another test is conducted, an additional user input to initiate atest may be received through the user interface. If the user input isreceived (as determined in operation 512), the application may return tooperation 502 and conduct another test of the Wi-Fi signal strength ofthe WLAN of the premises 500. If a user input to initiate another testis not received or a user input to halt testing is received, theapplication may transmit a test halt signal to the modem 202 inoperation 514. Similar to the test initiate signal, the test halt signalmay be transmitted directly to the modem 202 or through anothercomputing device or network in communication with the modem 202. Inoperation 516, the application may store the received test results inthe computing device or provide the test results to another storagedevice. When storing, the results may be associated with some indicatoror indicators of the premises 200, the modem 202, the Wi-Fi devices204-210, a technician associated with the test, the network 102connected to the modem 202, and/or any other information associated withthe WLAN test and the components included in the WLAN test. Thisinformation may be used by a network administrator to provide additionalrecommendations, improvements, and general troubleshooting of the WLANof the premises 200.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for generating arecommendation for distribution of Wi-Fi devices within a local networkbased on a test of Wi-Fi signal strength in accordance with oneembodiment. In general, the operations of the method 700 may beperformed by an application executed on a computing device, such as amobile device operated by a technician associated with the premises 200.The application may be executed through a combination of hardwarecomponents of the computing device and one or more instructions storedon a computer-readable medium of the device. One example computingdevice is described below.

In operation 702, the application may receive the Wi-Fi signal strengthresults from the testing procedures described above. In some instances,the results may include the signal strength reported by several Wi-Fidevices 204-210 located around the premises 200. In operation 704, theapplication may, for a first signal strength result of the multipleresults, determine if the result is below a first threshold value. Asmentioned above, the Wi-Fi signal strength result for a Wi-Fi device 204may be received as an RSSI value ranging from 0 to −255. Thus, the firstthreshold value may be some RSSI value, such as a −65 RSSI value. Forsignal strengths reported by the device 204 in other measurements, suchas mW or dBm, the first threshold value may correspond to the scale inwhich the signal strength is provided. The first threshold value may beany value as determined or selected by the application based on theconfiguration of the application. Continuing the above example, if theapplication determines that the RSSI value for the signal strengthresult is below (or in some instances, equal to) the first thresholdvalue, the application may mark the result as “Good” or “Adequate” orsome other identifier to indicate that the Wi-Fi signal strength at thecorresponding device is acceptable for the WLAN and/or premises 200 inoperation 706. For example, the application may determine that areceived RSSI signal strength from Wi-Fi device 204 is −43 and is belowthe first threshold value of −65. In this example, the result from Wi-Fidevice 204 may be marked as good. The indication of the signal strength,the determination of the quality of the signal, and/or any otherinformation obtained from the modem 202 or determined by the applicationmay be stored in operation 706.

If the Wi-Fi signal strength result is above the first threshold value,the application may determine in operation 708 if the result is betweenthe first threshold value and a second threshold value. Thisdetermination may be similar to the determination of the result incomparison to the first threshold value. In one example, the secondthreshold value may be a −75 RSSI value, although any value and/ormeasurement scale may determine the second threshold value. If theresult is between the first and the second threshold values, theapplication may mark the result, in operation 710, as “Fair” or someother identifier to indicate that the Wi-Fi signal strength at thecorresponding device is acceptable but weak for the WLAN and/or premises200. Again, the indication of the signal strength, the determination ofthe quality of the signal, and/or any other information obtained fromthe modem 202 or determined by the application may be stored in a reportof the test results.

If the result is not below the first threshold or between the first andsecond threshold, the application may mark the result, in operation 712,as “Poor” or some other identifier to indicate that the Wi-Fi signalstrength at the corresponding device is unacceptable for the WLAN and/orpremises 200. The indication of the signal strength, the determinationof the quality of the signal, and/or any other information obtained fromthe modem 202 or determined by the application may be stored in a reportof the test results following the marking of the result as “poor” orother indicator.

Regardless of the marker associated with the result, the application maydetermine, in operation 714, if more results from the list of Wi-Fisignal strength results remain or have not been marked by theapplication. If more results remain, the application may return tooperation 704 to mark the next result in the list. However, if eachresult has been marked or otherwise classified, the application maydetermine, in operation 716, if the majority of the results areclassified as fair or poor. If the majority of results indicate a fairor poor Wi-Fi signal strength, the application may provide, return, ordisplay in the user interface a recommendation to relocate the modem 202within the premises, preferably to a more centralized location withinthe premises 200 or amid the Wi-Fi devices 204-210. On the other hand,if a majority of the results do not indicate a fair or poor Wi-Fi signalstrength, the application may determine, in operation 720, if any of theresults are marked or classified as poor or above the second thresholdvalue. For those results classified as poor, the application mayprovide, return, or display in the user interface a recommendation toadd or install a signal extender (or similar device) in an area thatcorresponds to a Wi-Fi device associated with the poor signal strength.For example, Wi-Fi device C 208 may provide a signal strength result tothe modem 202 that is classified as “poor” or above the second thresholdvalue. In response, the application may note the poor signal strengthand recommend the installation of an extender in the kitchen 222 area ofthe premises 200 to improve the signal strength in that area. In someinstances, the application may include the areas within the premises 200associated with each of the Wi-Fi devices 204-210 such that therecommendation may include an indication of the affected area. In otherinstances, a user of the application may correspond a low or poor signalstrength with a particular area of the premises 200 and install theextender in that area. If it is determined that none of the results areclassified as poor, the application may return a satisfactory indicatorfor the WLAN coverage within the premises 200 as each of the signalstrengths of the tested Wi-Fi devices 204-210 is within an acceptablevalue or level.

In some instances, multiple signal strength tests may be conducted onthe WLAN of the premises 200. In particular, the application may displayor otherwise provide a recommendation to re-test the devices 204-210 ofthe WLAN following the execution of one or more of the recommendations,in operation 726. For example, upon relocating the modem 202 to adifferent area of the premises 200, an additional test of the Wi-Fidevices 204-410 may be conducted to determine the results of therelocation of the modem 202. Similarly, an additional test of the Wi-Fidevices 204-210 may be conducted following the installation of a signalextender to verify the extender improves the signal strength of one ormore of the devices 204-210 above the poor classification.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computing deviceor computer system 800 which may be used in implementing the embodimentsof the components of the network disclosed above. For example, thecomputing system 800 of FIG. 8 may be the computing device on which theapplication discussed above is executed. The computer system (system)includes one or more processors 802-806. Processors 802-806 may includeone or more internal levels of cache (not shown) and a bus controller orbus interface unit to direct interaction with the processor bus 812.Processor bus 812, also known as the host bus or the front side bus, maybe used to couple the processors 802-806 with the system interface 814.System interface 814 may be connected to the processor bus 812 tointerface other components of the system 800 with the processor bus 812.For example, system interface 814 may include a memory controller 814for interfacing a main memory 816 with the processor bus 812. The mainmemory 816 typically includes one or more memory cards and a controlcircuit (not shown). System interface 814 may also include aninput/output (I/O) interface 820 to interface one or more I/O bridges orI/O devices with the processor bus 812. One or more I/O controllersand/or I/O devices may be connected with the I/O bus 826, such as I/Ocontroller 828 and I/O device 830, as illustrated.

I/O device 830 may also include an input device (not shown), such as analphanumeric input device, including alphanumeric and other keys forcommunicating information and/or command selections to the processors802-806. Another type of user input device includes cursor control, suchas a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys for communicatingdirection information and command selections to the processors 802-806and for controlling cursor movement on the display device.

System 800 may include a dynamic storage device, referred to as mainmemory 816, or a random access memory (RAM) or other computer-readabledevices coupled to the processor bus 812 for storing information andinstructions to be executed by the processors 802-806. Main memory 816also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediateinformation during execution of instructions by the processors 802-806.System 800 may include a read only memory (ROM) and/or other staticstorage device coupled to the processor bus 812 for storing staticinformation and instructions for the processors 802-806. The system setforth in FIG. 8 is but one possible example of a computer system thatmay employ or be configured in accordance with aspects of the presentdisclosure.

According to one embodiment, the above techniques may be performed bycomputer system 800 in response to processor 804 executing one or moresequences of one or more instructions contained in main memory 816.These instructions may be read into main memory 816 from anothermachine-readable medium, such as a storage device. Execution of thesequences of instructions contained in main memory 816 may causeprocessors 802-806 to perform the process steps described herein. Inalternative embodiments, circuitry may be used in place of or incombination with the software instructions. Thus, embodiments of thepresent disclosure may include both hardware and software components.

A machine readable medium includes any mechanism for storing ortransmitting information in a form (e.g., software, processingapplication) readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). Such media maytake the form of, but is not limited to, non-volatile media and volatilemedia and may include removable data storage media, non-removable datastorage media, and/or external storage devices made available via awired or wireless network architecture with such computer programproducts, including one or more database management products, web serverproducts, application server products, and/or other additional softwarecomponents. Examples of removable data storage media include CompactDisc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), Digital Versatile Disc Read-Only Memory(DVD-ROM), magneto-optical disks, flash drives, and the like. Examplesof non-removable data storage media include internal magnetic harddisks, SSDs, and the like. The one or more memory devices 606 mayinclude volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM),static random access memory (SRAM), etc.) and/or non-volatile memory(e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, etc.).

Computer program products containing mechanisms to effectuate thesystems and methods in accordance with the presently describedtechnology may reside in main memory 816, which may be referred to asmachine-readable media. It will be appreciated that machine-readablemedia may include any tangible non-transitory medium that is capable ofstoring or encoding instructions to perform any one or more of theoperations of the present disclosure for execution by a machine or thatis capable of storing or encoding data structures and/or modulesutilized by or associated with such instructions. Machine-readable mediamay include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized ordistributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that storethe one or more executable instructions or data structures.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include various steps, which aredescribed in this specification. The steps may be performed by hardwarecomponents or may be embodied in machine-executable instructions, whichmay be used to cause a general-purpose or special-purpose processorprogrammed with the instructions to perform the steps. Alternatively,the steps may be performed by a combination of hardware, software and/orfirmware.

Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplaryembodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the presentinvention. For example, while the embodiments described above refer toparticular features, the scope of this invention also includesembodiments having different combinations of features and embodimentsthat do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, thescope of the present invention is intended to embrace all suchalternatives, modifications, and variations together with allequivalents thereof.

We claim:
 1. A method for operating a wireless network, the method comprising: receiving, by a wireless network device via a network server, a test wireless network identifier and a password for connecting to a test wireless network; broadcasting, by the wireless network device upon receiving a test initiation signal and based on the test wireless network identifier, a test wireless network signal within a premises; communicating, by the wireless network device upon receiving the password, with a test wireless device via the test wireless network signal; obtaining, by the wireless network device from the test wireless device, transmission data of the test wireless device over the test wireless network signal; and transmitting, by the wireless network device to a mobile device and based on a request from an application of the mobile device, the transmission data of the test wireless device.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the application of the mobile device is configured to: generate, based on the transmission data of the test wireless device, a wireless network installation action; and display, on a display device associated with the mobile device, an indication of the wireless network installation action.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless network installation action comprises an installation of a wireless network extender device.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission data comprises Received Signal Strength Signal (RSSI) data.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: associating the transmission data of the test wireless device with an indicator of the premises; and transmitting, to a network storage device, the associated transmission data of the test wireless device and the indicator of the premises.
 6. A wireless network device comprising: one or more processors; a wireless transmitter/receiver in communication with the one or more processors; and a memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform the operations of: detecting, from a wireless network broadcasting device, a test wireless network signal comprising a test wireless network identifier; transmitting, via the wireless transmitter/receiver and to the wireless network broadcasting device, connection credentials associated with the test wireless network identifier to connect to the test wireless network signal; measuring a signal strength of the test wireless network signal based on receiving one or more test communications via the test wireless network signal; and transmitting the signal strength of the test wireless network signal to the wireless network broadcasting device.
 7. The wireless network device of claim 6, the instructions further performing the operations of: accessing the wireless network broadcasting device; and receiving, from the wireless network broadcasting device, a plurality of signal strengths associated with a plurality of wireless devices in communication with the wireless network broadcasting device.
 8. The wireless network device of claim 7, the instructions further performing the operations of: generating, based on the plurality of signal strengths associated with the plurality of wireless devices, a wireless network installation action; and displaying, on a display device, an indication of the wireless network installation action.
 9. The wireless network device of claim 8, the instructions further performing the operation of: classifying the plurality of signal strengths associated with the plurality of wireless devices, the wireless network installation action based on the classification of the plurality of signal strengths associated with the plurality of wireless devices.
 10. The wireless network device of claim 8, the instructions further performing the operation of: correlating, with the plurality of signal strengths associated with the plurality of wireless devices, information of a premises associated with the wireless network broadcasting device.
 11. The wireless network device of claim 10 wherein the wireless network installation action comprises an indication of a location within the premises for installation of the wireless network broadcasting device.
 12. The wireless network device of claim 10 wherein the wireless network installation action comprises an installation of a wireless network extender device.
 13. The wireless network device of claim 6, the instructions further performing the operation of: transmitting, to the wireless network broadcasting device, a test initiation communication, the wireless network broadcasting device transmitting the test wireless network identifier in response to the test initiation communication.
 15. The wireless network device of claim 7 wherein the signal strength of the test wireless network signal comprises Received Signal Strength Signal (RSSI) data. 